Bloomberg has reported that Matt Fischer is stepping down as part of a company restructuring. After more than 14 years leading the App Store business, Fischer will exit in October. The App Store group will now be divided into two teams. One team will manage Apple’s App Store, while the other will oversee alternative app distribution.
Phil Schiller made the decision to make these changes, as regulators are forcing the iPhone maker to allow alternative stores and payment methods across all its devices.
Matt Fischer officially announced his departure in his LinkedIn post and said:
After 21 years at Apple, I’ve made the decision to step away from our incredible company. This has been on my mind for some time, and as we are also reorganizing the team to better manage new challenges and opportunities, now is the right moment to pass the baton to two outstanding leaders on my team — Carson Oliver and Ann Thai — both of whom are more than ready for this next chapter.
Matt Fischer, Vice President, Head of Worldwide App Store and Apple Arcade at Apple
Carson Oliver will run the App Store group, while Ann Thai will lead the new team responsible for alternative distribution. Both managers will report to Phil Schiller.
Fischer further commented on his departure, thanking his leaders and colleagues:
Throughout my two decades at Apple, I’ve been fortunate to work with some truly inspiring leaders, including Steve Jobs, Tim Cook, Eddy Cue, and Phil Schiller. I’m deeply grateful for the wisdom, support, and guidance they’ve provided me.
I also want to thank my incredible colleagues for their commitment to our customers, to our developers, and to each other. I’m immensely proud of what we’ve built together — a platform with over 1 billion customers worldwide, with developers generating over $1 trillion in total billings and sales in the App Store ecosystem in 2022 alone.
Matt Fischer, Vice President, Head of Worldwide App Store and Apple Arcade at Apple
Apple has been under constant pressure from developers and regulators. The company has recently made changes to its commission structure, and Epic Games Store has launched its mobile store in the EU for iOS users.
App Store business generates about $20 billion in revenue per year, which puts these services at a critical point for Apple.
